Knowing The Right Answer

She always has a lot to say, my youngest, and this day was no exception. She jumped in the van and began.

"Mom, you know what Dillon* said to me today?"

"No, what?" I geared myself up for the detailed description.

"Well, he was being mean to Heather."

"Mmm hmm." I confess. I wasn't listening too closely. Sometimes the sagas of a nine-year-old just don't trip my trigger.

"So I asked him if he went to church."

Suddenly this one was getting better. "Yeah. . ."

"And he said, 'No, I don't need to go to church.' So I said, 'Well, I could teach you about Jesus if you want.'"

"What did he say?"

"He was like, 'Yeah, well I could teach you about my fist and your A-S-S.'"

"Whoa. He really said that?"

"Yeah, well, he spelled it out like that."

"What did you do?"

"I went, 'O. . .kkaay,'" She rolled her eyes a bit. "Then I played somewhere else. I wasn't going to tell the teacher, but Heather did and he had to sit on the ledge. He's always sitting on the ledge."

"Maybe he has a tough life at home."

"I know. Other kids say both his mom and step-dad smoke (not sure why this is scandalous to 3rd graders, but I can deal with it) and his real dad's in prison and he lives with his grandma."

"Poor guy."

"Yeah."

"Does it make you worry about mentioning Jesus and church to other kids?"

"No, not really. He's always saying stuff like that. It didn't bother me. But you know what was kind of weird? At recess Sam and I were making tracks in the snow and all of a sudden Dillon started doing it with us."

"Maybe he needs a friend."

"Yeah, we just let him play with us."

Don't you just love it?! A kid who not only thinks Jesus is the answer to everything, but one who can overlook an insult and play along with the offender later.


Lord Jesus, thank You for Your touch in my daughter's life. Help me be more like her, innocently seeing the need for You among the people she encounters and unapologetically offering You to them. Bring back my child like faith that is ever willing to speak of You, not quick to take things personally and easily forgives. Thank You for a lesson in love from a nine-year-old.


*All the children's names have been changed to protect them.

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